


Trust Me, It's True

by S_Snowflake



Category: Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Genre: F/M, Musicals, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-07-24
Updated: 2009-07-24
Packaged: 2017-11-01 01:44:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/350603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S_Snowflake/pseuds/S_Snowflake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A midquel to the stage musical. Seymour and Audrey go out on their third date, taking a big step in their relationship.  T for some language and sexuality.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Fine Plant

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note/Disclaimer: This story was an idea in the back of my mind for a while, but I didn't get around to writing it until a small family vacation to Lake Santa Margarita. I was inspired partly by "A Deal with a Plant" a Little Shop of Horrors fan fiction by Writing Queen 101. This is yet another Seymour and Audrey fluffisode, but it was refreshing to write something that takes place during the musical rather than being a sequel to the movie version; which means, you guessed it: Audrey II is in the story!
> 
> A big thanks goes to Ossiana of the BPRD, who beta read this story. And lastly, I own none of the characters or songs used in this story. They belong to the various people who have created the original film, off Broadway musical, and musical film "Little Shop of Horrors." Enjoy!

The rain poured heavily on Skid Row, as if great pails from above were splashing the ground. It was indeed a strange November evening for an equally strange, if not eerie, day. The tiny flower shop, Mushnik & Son's, never found silence with raindrops making a racket of "drip-drop-pa-lunk" on the roof. Buckets were placed in every corner of the shop to catch the water droplets that came through the cracks in the ceiling. It amazed the two employees who worked there that even in such horrible weather, customers came flocking to stare hypnotically at their famous, botanical discovery by the name of Audrey II.

"Yes siree, that's a fine plant you've got there," said one of the last customers of the day as he approached Audrey II's great, green pod.

Seymour Krelborn, who had discovered the plant and was accredited with the fame of it, turned sharply in the direction of the customer. "Don't get that close!" he shrieked before tripping over his shoelaces in an attempt to stop the man from coming closer to his plant. After standing back up and readjusting his glasses, Seymour spoke once again, "I mean, I'm sorry, sir, but I c-can't risk any damage to such a… _delicate_ plant."

The large pod barely parted in a smirk directed at Seymour. Thankfully, the customer did not notice it.

"I see. Well, you have all the reason to be protective of it, being that it's bringing you so many good things," replied the customer with a chuckle.

Seymour bit his lip, thinking over the customer's words. _If only he knew what horrible things that monster has brought me too; feeding it my own blood and then two other people,_ he thought, lowering his head slightly and mumbling something faint under his breath.

Audrey Fulquard, the sole female employee at Mushnik & Son's, noticed Seymour's sudden outburst and reaction, and immediately felt that she had to do something. "Is there anythin' else you need to buy, sir?" she asked the customer before she looked behind her at the clock on the wall. She coughed shortly and banged on the wall with her fist, causing the clock's broken hands to move forward on impact. "Excuse me," she apologized before turning around with a false gasp at the clock. "Why, Seymour, it's six a' clock!" she exclaimed in the dumbest fashion possible.

"What? But it was just five thir-" Seymour began, but then caught the wink Audrey gave him as he looked up at the trick clock. "Oh-oh, so it is!"

Audrey giggled shortly. "Sorry, sir, but you'll have to come back t'morrow if you want to see Audrey Two some more."

"Aw, darn," replied the customer as he walked out the door. "-Well, thanks for the flowers anyway."

"No trouble at all, sir," Seymour answered him before turning around and glaring at another customer in the corner. "-And, Burson, you gotta go too."

The second customer turned around with a flower he had began to eat still hanging out of his mouth. "M'aww…" he muttered in response before walking out the door and into the pouring rain as well.

Seymour shook his head. "Plant eater… what kind of weirdos could possibly come in next, Audrey?"

"On Skid Row, who knows?" Audrey replied with a smile, switching off the neon sign and closing the drapes so that no one could see into the shop. She tiptoed a few paces toward Seymour before leaping forward and playfully pouncing on his back.

"Gyah! Audrey, please don't do that when I'm not looking!" Seymour yelped.

"Sorry but, oh, I can't wait for our date, t'night!" she said excitedly. "It's gonna be so fun. Only our third date, and I don't see anything but sparks flyin' around us. It must be love!"

"Yeah… love," Seymour said, and decided to give her a kiss. "My first and only, Audrey."

Audrey giggled again with anticipation and joy. "Well, now that it's closin' time, I've gotta go get ready for tonight. Gotta put on some makeup and look great for my date, you know."

"-But I already think you're beautiful," Seymour argued. "You don't need no makeup, not with me. Remember?"

Audrey smiled. "-But it's so rainy, all my makeup's washed off. Besides, uptown you gotta make an impression on people."

Seymour shook his head again. "I guess. So, I'll pick you up from your apartment around eight?"

"Sure," Audrey answered with another radiant smile before she took a few steps closer to Seymour and gave him the faintest peck on the lips. "I'll see you tonight, Seymour darling."

Seymour grinned back at last. "See ya."

Seymour continued to smile as Audrey walked out the door with the last click-clacks of her high heels striking the linoleum. Audrey's presence was more than a comfort for Seymour; she was like a human antidepressant. Once the blonde was gone from his sight, he returned to the frantic and hurt state that he had been in before. And then, to make matters worse…

"Finally! I never thought she'd leave," said a booming voice from behind Seymour. "Hoowee, that girl puts on too much cherry lipstick! I could smell her lips smackin' yours from over here."

"Hey, shut up, Twoey," Seymour said and turned around to face his plant.

The Audrey II's pod was now flopped forward, the opening of its trap agape to reveal its wide, toothy maw. It looked rather like the head of a cobra before it strikes.

"Don't tell me to shut up, boy!" the plant yelled at Seymour. "I have to keep quiet all day with these weirdos watchin' me. Did you see that one guy with the flowers? I'm pretty sure he wants to eat me." It licked its chops with a slimy, leaf tongue. "I'd like to see him try."

"He is a little odd, but that's no reason to kill him, Twoey," Seymour said.

"Mm, you didn't seem to care if Scrivello was ju-u-st a little mean to Audrey, or if Mushnik knew ju-u-st a bit too much about what was goin' on," the plant said tauntingly. "And now look what's happened. You got everything you want, boy."

Seymour frowned and looked at his feet with shame. "I didn't want to be a murdering fraud of a celebrity back when it all started. I just wanted Audrey to be safe."

"-And you wanted her for yourself."

"No, no, I didn't want to take advantage of her. I just couldn't help myself when I told her how I felt," he paused. "Ya know what she told me on our last date? She told me that she always loved me. Do you think that means she'd love me even if I wasn't famous anymore?"

Audrey II was a sly, sneaky plant. Seymour had of course guessed right with his question about Audrey's feelings for him. Even a plant could tell that she was genuinely in love with him, but Seymour could never know that, or else the extraterrestrial plant's plan for world domination might go underground. It was too early to abort this part of the mission, and Audrey II knew exactly what to say to keep its scheme alive.

"Females are funny creatures, Seymour. No means yes and yes means no, 'member? Besides, she probably meant she's always loved you since she finally knew you existed, and you know how long that took," it said.

Seymour sighed deeply. "Yeah, you're right. I just barely hoped for one second that maybe she wouldn't care if I was just a nothing again. If we were back to square one we could still have tomorrow."

"Why think about that when you've got tomorrow in your hands?" Audrey II asked Seymour. "Where are you taking Audrey tonight anyway?"

"Some big restaurant uptown," Seymour replied with a shrug before going down into the basement to fix himself up properly for his date.

"And what are you gonna do _after_ dinner?" Audrey II asked slyly through the open basement door.

"Um, I don't know, go for a walk or something."

"No, no, I mean when you go _home,"_ the plant chortled.

" _What?_ " Seymour asked with a shock, accidentally flinging his glasses onto his cot in the process. After recovering them in a half blind state, he continued, "You don't mean like _that,_ do you? Twoey, that's just disgusting. Me and Audrey… we're still just getting to know each other, we're not like that."

_Yeah, little miss former stripper would never do anything like that, Seymour,_ the plant thought, shaking its pod. "Whatever you say, kid. Whatever you say…"


	2. I Still Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter that more or less gives the story its T rating.

"Really Seymour, you've neva' had anotha' girl?" Audrey asked her date as they left the nice uptown restaurant together, ducking under their umbrella to avoid the small pellets of rain.

"Nope. Girls never talk to me, 'cept for you that is," Seymour replied.

Audrey smiled and looked into Seymour's blue-grey eyes. "That's too bad. I think any girl would feel lucky to be with you."

"I guess Audrey Two has been making us pretty lucky."

"Huh? Oh, well, sure the money has been nice, but I mean I'm just lucky to have you around."

Seymour smiled at last. "And I'm lucky to have you. I think I'd lose it if you weren't here." He paused and looked down at his toes, biting his lip. "Audrey, you don't know how much has been going on lately."

"Well, we work togetha'. I know how pesky those reporta's and businesses can be, but there's somethin' else that's bothering you, isn't there?" She paused, receiving no response. "Seymour, you can tell me anything."

Seymour winced at Audrey's words, thinking of the horrible, dark secrets he was keeping from her. Could he really admit that he had stood by and watched her former boyfriend die, then chopped up the body and fed it to his gigantic, blood-eating plant? And would she ever accept him if she knew that he had been there when the plant had swallowed their boss with barely three bites from its massive jaws? These questions burned in Seymour's mind as they walked toward the familiar slums that they called home, and he hardly spoke to his lover.

Just as the couple had turned the corner onto the familiar street, the rain began to pick up again, striking their umbrella with sudden, violent force. Audrey squeaked and ducked down lower as her heels scraped the damp sidewalk while Seymour's glasses fogged up and he scrambled to hold onto Audrey.

"Damn, why does it rain so much harder here than uptown?" Seymour asked.

"Hurry up, we'll go to my place!" Audrey yelped and dragged Seymour down the street a little ways to her apartment. They ran together through the heavy rain, overcoming the obstacle of the weather. The thunder growled angrily above, as if some monster from above was hungry, but they escaped the beast together.

Thrusting the door open, they burst into the apartment. They fell on top of each other, laughing as if the whole thing were a joke, then slowly stood up.

"Oh boy, nothin' like a thunda'storm to make a date exciting, huh?" Audrey asked.

"I'll say," Seymour gasped before standing up and wiping off his glasses with his shirt. He sat there on the floor for a little while, thinking over about going back into the pouring rain right away, before asking, "Audrey, mind if I stay here a minute or two and get dried off?"

Audrey turned and smiled at Seymour. "Not at all. 'Scuse me though, I have to freshen up." She grabbed her nightgown and winked at him before turning around into the bathroom to change.

"Oh… Okay," Seymour replied, unsure as she closed the door and left him sitting on her bed.

Seymour decided to occupy his time by looking around the apartment that he still was not very familiar with. It was such a small room; what a pity that an angel resided in such a tiny Skid Row dungeon. He noticed that the color pink dominated all the other colors in her room, glowing faintly on the near bare walls. There were simple necessities, her beauty products and such along with things that reflected Audrey's interests and innocence everywhere. Fluffy throw pillows sat on the bed behind him, _Better Homes and Gardens_ magazines rested on the dresser drawer in great heaps, and sitting faithfully on the chair by the window was a stuffed, cocker spaniel dog. Seymour did not like the dog's plastic eyes staring at him, so he gently turned its head toward the window so that he no longer felt like he was being watched.

"What do you want me to do? Tell her?" he asked the toy, as if it could understand. "She can never know the truth."

"Seymour, who are you talkin' to?" asked Audrey's soft voice from behind him.

"Oh, nobody. I was just practicing lines for a play, and-"

He stopped talking when he turned around and saw Audrey in her nightgown with her hair flowing down to her shoulders. There was not a trace of hairspray or makeup to distract from her natural beauty.

"Wow. Err… _wow._ I'm sorry, I've j-just never seen you like this before, Audrey."

"What's the matta'?" she asked him sweetly. "You don't like me?"

"Oh-oh no, Audrey, I love you, I just…" Seymour coughed under his breath and looked away from her hypnotizing body. "-I think I have to go now."

"Back outside? Oh, no, I won't let you go back out into the cold," Audrey said and walked over to hug him tightly. "You'll freeze out there, Seymour sweetheart. And besides, the basement leaks like the rest of that shop. Stay here with me t'night."

"Well, that's very nice of you, Audrey, but what about the plant? It needs to be watered twice a day and I think I forgot to before we left."

Audrey pouted and kissed Seymour near his ear. "I think the plant will live, Seymour. It's big and strong now. Just for one night?"

"Okay, but where will I sleep?"

Audrey laughed. "Oh boy, now I have to play the teacha'. Seymour, there's only one bed here. Where d'ya think I want you to sleep?"

"Um… under the bed?" Seymour asked, trying to act innocent.

"No, silly! You're my boyfriend now, that means we can sleep _togetha',_ right?" Audrey said with a laugh.

"Well, I-I- does that mean you want to… you know..."

Audrey nodded with a smile before frizzing up Seymour's hair playfully.

Seymour took another breath and gulped before adding, "Audrey, I've never… you're my first girlfriend."

"I know," Audrey whispered, hugging his frame gently in her arms before pushing him down on her bed. "But I still love you."

Then Audrey kissed his cheek a few times, feeling his heart beating below in tune with her heart. Seymour found some courage at last, then smiled and kissed her back, carefully wrapping his arms around her in an embrace where they simply kissed passionately for a minute or two. Even though he was soaked through and through from the rain, Audrey kept him more than warm in that moment. Then, suddenly, a thought struck Audrey and she broke away from their lock of love.

"Um, Seymour honey, maybe we oughtta' close the blinds before we go any further with this," she suggested.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," Seymour grumbled, half dazed.

* * *

"What's takin' that boy so long?" Audrey II asked itself, tapping a vine on the shop floor as if it were a finger.

The plant turned its pod to the shop window, sensing only the faintest light changes, since it had no eyes to see with. It saw only the light of Audrey's apartment window glowing down the street before a faint shadow came over the window and then the light shut off altogether. After putting two and two together, the plant grinned devilishly and cackled to itself.

"Oh-oh ha, ha, boy! Damn, Seymour! I knew it!" it said and slapped its leaves and tendrils onto the floor in a laughing fit. "Hoo-wee, boy. Well, looks like I won't be seein' him anytime tonight." It turned around to the telephone, coming up with an idea. "If Seymour won't bring me dinner, maybe I'll just get some myself."

Then its mighty vines began to dial a phone number, and Audrey II pulled the phone up to the base of its pod to listen to the dial tone. _If this works, this might actually be a clever way to get food,_ it thought.

When the line finally stopped ringing, the plant cleared its stem of a throat and spoke, "Yeah, I'd like ten large pizzas with extra pepperoni." It paused, listening, before adding, "Yes, to thirteen-thirteen Skid Row- uh-huh. And send the juiciest… I mean, _best_ delivery boy ya got," it finished and licked its lips in hunger.


	3. Goodnight

The rain continued to pour long into the night, drowning out all the other sounds on Skid Row. It was close to midnight, but Seymour and Audrey did not sleep as they lied together in their nightclothes, side by side. Audrey was reading one of her magazines while Seymour simply stared up at the ceiling. Only he knew what was keeping him from showing Audrey all of the love in his heart that she so deserved from him, and it made him go insane trying to keep his secret from her.

 _If she knew what I've done, she wouldn't love me anymore. Even if I never tell her and somehow kill that vegetable, she won't love me. I need her, but I can barely take living like this,_ he thought.

Audrey hummed a tune in her soft voice, flipping through page after page of the magazine, but paused when she glanced over at Seymour. She frowned before asking, "Seymour, darling, what's wrong?"

Seymour looked back into Audrey's lovely green eyes, attempting his best smile and said, "Nothin' Audrey, everything's… perfect."

Audrey set down her magazine at last and held Seymour's hand. "You don't seem too happy about it. What's the matta'? Is it something wrong with me?"

"You? Never, Audrey. You-you're wonderful. Everything's just fine! I mean, who could be happier than us?"

Audrey paused. "You're lying to me."

"No! No, I'd never-"

"Seymour, I know when you're lying or not. Is it me that's the problem?"

"No, Audrey," Seymour repeated. "You'd never be a problem."

Audrey smiled, knowing that Seymour's last statement was truthful, but then her grin wavered. "So, what's the matta'?"

"I-I can't tell you," Seymour said.

"Please?"

"No."

Audrey pouted before kissing Seymour's face repeatedly and with each breath of air asking, "Please? Please? Please?"

Seymour knew that he was at his limit by the seventh kiss and pushed her away. "No, Audrey! Don't you get it? I'm not gonna tell you what's wrong with me! Okay?"

Audrey moved back, surprised by her boyfriend's reaction. "Seymour," she said slowly. "You're acting more funny these days. Something's not right, I can tell. If this is the way it's gonna be…"

At her words, Seymour panicked and jumped up. "No, wait! Audrey, listen. I want to tell you what's going on, more than anything, but…I just can't. Not now anyway. Someday, someday soon you'll know. And then we both'll never have to see Skid Row again, I promise."

Audrey paused and looked down at the blanket in her hands. "I don't want anymore promises, I just want someone who won't lie to me. I've had so many boyfriends lie to me, Seymour. One says he was just going out to drink and then he neva' came back, anotha' says he was just meeting his sista', but he was really cheating on me. It hurts, Seymour."

Seymour took a deep breath and smiled at her. "I would never hurt you, Audrey. That's a promise and the truth."

Audrey grinned and kissed Seymour faintly before pulling him into another hug. "I know, I know," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "Look, let's just start ova'. I mean, we've all got secrets."

"Okay," Seymour muttered in reply as she released him.

Audrey stood up from the bed and walked across the room, her nightgown flowing gently in the air with each step she made across the floor, as if she were some sort of specter. She plucked a photograph off her shelf, half-closing her eyes and taking another breath. "Did I eva' tell you about my sista'?"

Seymour shook his head as Audrey came back and sat down beside him.

"That's her when she was nine, and that's me when I was six," Audrey said, pointing to the small, black and white picture of two girls playing in the city streets. The little Audrey's hair was an incredibly platinum blonde color, almost to the point of being white, while her taller sister had thick, brown curls atop her head. "Her name was Julia."

"Hey, I used to play there sometimes too," Seymour said, noticing the backdrop of the photo. "Isn't that right in front of Shmendrik's place?"

"Yeah! Where the kids used to draw all ova' the wall?" Audrey answered with a laugh. "To think, we must've just missed each otha'."

"Imagine that," Seymour said, and then paused. "So, how come you never let me meet your sister?"

Audrey shut her eyes. "She died, Seymour." She waited for some kind of response, but when none came she continued, "She died on a rainy night, just like t'night. And it was my fault."

"What?" Seymour asked with alarm. _Audrey killed her own sister? No, it can not be true… could it?_

"She wanted to go to her friends' party. Mama wouldn't let her go, and she was so upset, so I… I helped her sneak out. We waited until Ma was sleeping, then we climbed out the window and she left for the party. I waited a few hours and it started to rain, but I kept waiting and waiting all night. In the morning the police came and told Ma that she'd been hit by a car in the middle a' the night." A silent tear slid down Audrey's face. "Mama's neva' talked to me since."

"Audrey…I'm so sorry," Seymour said as she cried a little more. He knew he had to say something to make her feel better, to let her know that she was innocent. "You didn't know what would happen. You'd never hurt anyone."

"But if I hadn't helped her get out, then she'd still be alive, Seymour," Audrey squeaked. "It's my fault. That's why I'm all messed up."

"You're not messed up, Audrey. You've just had a tough time in the past, and, we've all got a past, Audrey," Seymour said, swallowing the shame of his own actions. "-But we'll have tomorrow. Trust me, it's true." It came to him suddenly, but Seymour sang the next few words that popped into his head gently and with meaning:

_"We'll have tomorrow, we'll get through._

_"Clouds'll be parted, the sun will shine bright_

_"We'll have tomorrow if we make it through tonight…"_

He stopped and Audrey sniffled before nodding softly. "I hope you're right." Her smile quickly came back onto her face. "You know, I've neva' told any a' my otha' boyfriends about that. I guess it's good to get things off your chest. Thanks for listening… and for the song too."

"Anytime," Seymour answered with honesty, then faked a yawn. "Audrey, I'm feeling tired. I think I'd better get some sleep now."

"Me too," Audrey replied, placing the old photograph beside her on the bedside drawer. She switched off the lights and moved closer to Seymour, feeling the warmth of his body beside her. She snuggled just a little bit closer, rested her upper body against his comfortably, and put her hand on his shoulder before shutting her eyes.

"Goodnight, Seymour," she said.

Seymour felt safe again in the angel's embrace, and smiled before resting his glasses on the floor and closing his eyes as well. "Goodnight, Audrey."

_"Don't you be frightened._

_Don't be afraid._

_If we see tomorrow, we've got it made…"_


End file.
